Uploads from shapeshift, with geodata

levels of enlightenment

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:56:55 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Kothaung Temple in Mrauk-U was built in 1553 by the Arakanese King Mintaikkha. Legends vary - that lightning destroyed it, jewel-seekers overturned its walls, or that it was built with inferior stones by a superstitious king bent on beating a six-month timeline. In any case, here we are standing at the inner/upper passageway looking down at the outer/ lower passageway. Both passageways ring the square footprint of the temple and had ceilings that collapsed.

Mrauk-U, Rakhine State, MYANMAR, Southeast Asia, Asia

legacy of the arakanese empire

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:07:46 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

The name Mrauk U means “The First Accomplishment,” and was once the powerful center of the Arakanese (Rakhine) Kingdom, during an epoch that began in 1430 and stretched until 1785. As Mrauk U and her kingdom prospered, the kings, ministers and peasants built many pagodas and temples around the town to reflect their faith. Thus, Mrauk U houses a rich collection of temples and pagodas second only to the Central Burmese town of Bagan, in Myanmar. Most of Mrauk U's temples were constructed of hewn stone bricks, unlike the mud and clay bricks of Bagan.

Mrauk-U, Rakhine State, MYANMAR, Southeast Asia, Asia

mrauk-u traffic

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 11:28:37 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Typical street traffic on one of the main streets in Mrauk-U, Myanmar. We came to see temples and pagodas like the ones at the top of that hill, remnants from the Rakhine (Arakanese) kingdom, from 1430 to 1785. Mrauk-U, though, is also a thriving village community sitting at the footsteps of the archaeological sites. Because it is not easily accessible, Mrauk-U gets only about 4,000 visitors a year. Tourism this year, 2012, was almost nil because the Rakhine state was in upheaval over traditional ethnic tensions that escalated into riots and many deaths. We did not have government permission to be here but were lucky to somehow get through.

Mrauk-U, Rakhine State, MYANMAR, Southeast Asia, Asia

smiles of mrauk-u

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:19:46 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

We came by boat to Mrauk-U to see the temples of the important and powerful Rakhine (Arakanese) kingdom, from 1430 to 1785. But we were equally charmed by the friendly nature of the inhabitants of this remote rural village city that is interwoven with the archaeological sites. We wish and hope for peace from ethnic tensions that ravaged the Rakhine State throughout 2012.

Mrauk-U, Rakhine State, MYANMAR, Southeast Asia, Asia

and then there were none

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:42:40 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Abandoned bamboo house by the side of the Kaladan River. Regardless of its state, there is still a beauty and elegance of the simple stilt bamboo construction.

Kaladan River, Rakhine State, MYANMAR, Southeast Asia, Asia

sittwe barber shop

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:27:05 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

This barber shop was on the main street in Sittwe, Myanmar. The city of Sittwe, pronounced site-tway in the Rakhine language, has 181,000 inhabitants and is located on an estuarial island created at the confluence of the Kaladan, Mayu, and Lay Mro rivers emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

The largest ethnic group in Sittwe is the Rakhine people. Alongside, there are some Burmese from other parts of the country. The vast majority practices Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism or Animism. The Muslim quarter used to be called Aung Mingala, until the Muslims were driven out during the 2012 riots in October.

Sittwe, Rakhine State, MYANMAR, Southeast Asia, Asia

new textures old colony

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:28:02 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Yangon, formerly the Burmese British colonial capital Rangoon, has the highest number of colonial period buildings in Southeast Asia. Downtown Yangon is still mainly made up of decaying colonial buildings, such as this example here. Most downtown buildings from this era are four-story mix-use (residential and commercial) buildings with 14-foot ceilings, allowing for the construction of mezzanines. Despite their less-than-perfect conditions, the buildings remain highly sought after and most expensive in the city's property market.

Yangon, MYANMAR, Southeast Asia, Asia

11-15 am chinatown

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 19:33:27 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

There are many narrow streets and alleys in Bangkok's Chinatown, full of shops and vendors selling all types of goods. From the look of the stacked plastic stools, this one turns into a makeshift restaurant in the evening.

Chinatown is located in one of the oldest areas of Bangkok. It represents the resettlement of Chinese on the Western bank of Chao Phraya river after Rama I moved the capital of the kingdom from Thonburi. From here Chinese traders operated maritime junk trade between Siam (Thailand) and China throughout the Rattanakosin kingdom, founded in 1782 with the establishment of Bangkok as the capital city.

Bangkok, THAILAND, Southeast Asia, Asia

composition with tires & chairs

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 21:17:34 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Seen in one of the small alleys in Chinatown, Bangkok.

Bangkok, THAILAND, Southeast Asia, Asia

unicef funded

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 10:49:12 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Colorful Thai children's school book on display at the House of Museum. It's small and not very well funded but it's an excellent museum of antique item commonly used in Bangkok in the not too distant past. (Find it here)

Bangkok, THAILAND, Southeast Asia, Asia

neon on red

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:14:35 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Starbuck's store display of an old hong kong neon sign. Display designed by G.O.D. (Goods of Desire), Central District, Hong Kong, China.

Central District, HONG KONG, China, East Asia, Asia

hang on baby

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 22:28:35 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Starbuck's store display designed by G.O.D. (Goods of Desire).

Central District, HONG KONG, China, East Asia, Asia

the artist within

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:19:54 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Walking by one of the food stores in the historic center of Quito, Ecuador.

Quito has one of the largest, least-altered, and best-preserved historic centers in the Americas. This center was, together with the historic center of Kraków in Poland, the first to be declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978.

Quito, ECUADOR, South America

women of the highlands

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 20:04:05 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Peruvian women selling vegetables at the market in Cusco.

Cusco, PERU, South America

path to cusco

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 13:35:12 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

An older Peruvian couple and their two dogs take a foot path that eventually winds down to Cusco, which you can see in the distant Watanay river valley. Cusco's elevation is already 3,300 m (10,800 ft) above sea level and this is higher than that.

Yuncaypata, Cusco, PERU, South America

landscape of the highlands

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:58:40 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

On the outskirt of Yuncaypata, a small community of 400 Quechua Indians located an hour or so from Cusco, Peru. In the distant, where the tall trees are is a small cemetery, Yuncaypata. Life is harse here in the highlands as life expectancy is only about fifty years.

Yuncaypata, Cusco, PERU, South America

house in cuzco

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 10:41:43 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

Cusco was the site of the historic capital of the Inca Empire (13th century-1532) and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983 by UNESCO.

Cusco, PERU, South America

extension of nature

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Fri, 31 May 2013 21:38:53 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

The building in the middle of the picture is a good example of how the Inca built their architecture as an extension of nature. They took advantage of the natural outcropping and used it as the foundation for the building. And, even though the angle deviates from the other buildings and terraces, it aligns with the angle of the rock formation and is complimentary with its surroundings. Of course, it was all for a remarkable view.

Machu Picchu, PERU, South America

tunnel to machu picchu

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Wed, 29 May 2013 21:26:36 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

These train tracks goes under the cute tunnel along the Urubamba River and will end up at Aquas Caliente, at the foot of the mountain that leads up to Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu, PERU, South America

mossy stones of beng mealea

nobody@flickr.com (shapeshift) — Wed, 29 May 2013 00:14:23 -0700

shapeshift posted a photo:

I love moss and I love ruins so of course I find this rubble deliciously beautiful. But then again who can resist this tug of war between man and nature. This is the place to go to if you entertain any Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider fantasy.

Only discovered in 1990, the history of the Being Mealea temple is unknown and can be dated only by its architectural style which is identical to Angkor Wat. So, scholars assume it was built during the reign of king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century. Smaller in size than Angkor Wat, the king's main monument, Beng Mealea nonetheless ranks among the Khmer empire's larger temples. It was the center of a town and was surrounded by a moat.

Beng Mealea, Angkor, Siem Reap, CAMBODIA, Southeast Asia, Asia